Hey everyone, I have finally saved up enough money to purchase and build a desktop computer. Since this is my first time buying and building a pc I am looking for some aid in choosing parts. Budget: $2000 Canadian I will be purchasing the parts on Saturday the 13th of this month. (yes I know that's more than 3 days away) This $2k limit is not too important and can go over if you can persuade me of it being worth it. (max 2150$) Keep in mind I already have all my peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor, headphones, etc) and so this limit is for the pc itself. Location: Vancouver, Canada. Aim: I have been using an M14x Alienware laptop for the last 4 years and with the release of newer games and better graphics have been putting quite a load onto my laptop. I have been saving for a dedicated gaming Desktop PC now for quite a while. I still intend to use my laptop just for simpler and more mobile requirements . This build is for a Dedicated gaming rig, that can run games at 1080p (single moniter) with maxed graphics settings. I would also like for the rig to be upgradable later in the future for 4k gaming, however that is simply a preference that doesn't really need to be addressed. I plan to play games such as Farcry 4, Skyrim, Watchdogs, GTA5, and a plethora of other rpg's and fps'. I also do work with Solidworks and Autocadd, so 3d modelling and rendering are a side-note however not the main intention for this machine. Components: I am an avid watcher of LinusTechTips on youtube and I believe I can put together my own PC without any difficulty. I do have a few preferences to what I want within the pc, however the brands and looks are not important as the rig will be sitting under my desk. (no crazy colour schemes or leds required) Processor: I have been using an i7 for a while now and i would prefer an i7 in this rig. (Unless one of you can convince me otherwise) I will be overclocking this cpu. Ram: I would prefer to have 16GB of Ram, I cant see myself ever needing more. Cooling: I want to go with and enclosed liquid cooling system for the cpu. The rest if the case and systems can be air cooled. Is buying fans to replace the stocks fans really necessary? If you find them to be necessary and they fit within the budget then let me know what kind I should use. Storage: I want to be using a ssd to run my operating system with a standard hard drive for everything else. how much space should I get for an ssd? is 250gigs too much? too little?. for the HD I would like 3 to 4 terra bytes. MotherBoard: I dont really know much about mother boards and so I don't really have any preferences, as long as it can run all the other components and is compatible with them then that's groovy. VideoCard: The big baddy, the toughest choice for this build in my opinion. I think Linus' $2k build had two graphics cards however I'm not sure if that's still the best thing for my build. I am willing to increase the budget a bit if you can convince me that a specific setup is well worth the extra coin. I prefer Nvidia cards simply because I have used them mainly so far. I also have Nvidia 3d vison glasses so the card should be able to run most games at a fair quality at 1080p @120hz fps (required for 3d, this would be using Dual DVI) My monitor takes dual dvi and/or HDMI SoundCard: I have a vast collection of music and i would like an optimal listening experience. If the cpu doesn't provide this then i would like a sound card that can power 250 ohm headphones or higher with in-depth control settings. Operating system: The best bang for your buck Windows Operating system that wont go out of date any time soon. Preferably 8.1. Case/power supply/optical drive/other: I don't have any case preferences, anything that works really. Same goes for the power supply. I will probably install my operating system via disk so an optical drive would be nice (unless you have a better way or can link me to how to install via usb) I do play older games that require a disk to play. I require my rig to take it's internet from my wifi router. There is no cable option for a cord to go in my desk's current location. (yes I have tried running it along the ceiling) Any questions I will do my best to respond to over the next few days. I really appreciate any help that you folks can give me. EDIT: This is the build so far. CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($366.98 @ DirectCanada) i5 changed to i7 to allow for a more well rounded rig. CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.99 @ Memory Express) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Memory Express) Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.99 @ Canada Computers) Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($114.98 @ Amazon Canada) Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($112.98 @ DirectCanada) Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($417.50 @ Vuugo) Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($417.50 @ Vuugo) Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon Canada) Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Memory Express) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.98 @ DirectCanada) Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($36.99 @ NCIX) Total: $2122.86 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-10 04:30 EST-0500 Current

First PC Build: $2000 Budget

By O'shi-vash
December 10, 2014 in New Builds and Planning

Go to solution Solved by O'shi-vash, December 14, 2014

Update!

Everything has now been purchased! I have switched over to the windforce cards as the Strix weren't in stock in any of the main sellers.

Everything will be shipped other than my case which i'll have to pick up at the Richmond NCIX.

Tax was pretty brutal (I knew it would be before starting this project)

Shipping was mostly free other than a few insurances.

I'll most likely post a build log in the Build Log forum section!

Thank you all for helping me to select parts for this machine!!! <3

Posted December 18, 2014

Author

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($398.50 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($398.50 @ Vuugo)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Memory Express)

I have just received the Power supply and I am having doubts as to if it can power the two graphics cards.
The Cards each take 16 pins... yet there are only 3 - 8 pin ports on the power supply.

Part picker didn't say anything about compatibility or power requirements so I;m unsure if there's any problem?

Perhaps there's a way to wire it using other ports??

EDIT:

NO PROBLEMS! The cables are in fact 8 pin to 16 pin connectors so the 3 - 8 pin outputs is plenty.